A smartphone designed to keep cryptocurrencies like bitcoin safe was unveiled on Tuesday. Cybersecurity firm Sikur launched the $799 SIKURPhone at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. It has an in-built cryptocurrency wallet designed to keep digital coins like bitcoin safe.
The company claims it tested the device with hackers who were unable to penetrate the device. Key features include a 5.5-inch full high definition display and 13 megapixel rear camera.
But the standout feature for the device is the in-built cryptocurrency wallet. A wallet is a piece of software required to hold cryptocurrencies. Security of cryptocurrency exchanges and wallets has been in the spotlight recently. A recent incident saw hackers steal over $500 million from Japanese cryptocurrency exchange Coincheck.
The cryptocurrency market has exploded with a value of over $460 billion, from just $21.4 billion a year ago, according to data from Coinmarketcap.com.
Sikur said it put its device to the test by hiring professional hackers to attack the device. The company claims the smartphone was subjected to "rigorous hacking tests for two months," but hackers failed to gain access to any information.
"At the end of second quarter of 2018 we will deliver a crypto wallet inside our platform, expanding the wallet use beyond SIKURPhone, it means that our customers should be able, through a physical device, to securely store their cryptocoins," Cristiano Lop, Sikur's CEO, told CNBC by email.
The SIKURPhone will be available in a pre-sale on February 27 at a price of $799, and the first units will be delivered in August 2018. Only 20,000 units will be available at this price.
